Badara

[Drax]

EDUCATION FOR BEDWI GROWING
 
MANARA  ALBRAYD SRIA AL-MUSAMI
(If it’s in the Monsoon, it’s got to be true)
 
Central Bank Main Office, August 17, 5704: The Monsoon asked Central Bank Managing Director Mariamne al-Qassem if she was really going to retire and she responded:
 

Perhaps surprisingly, yes. Our monetary and fiscal policy can not be dependent on one indispensable person; no more me than Faisal Abu Saq before me. I would like to think we contributed, and substituting the Dinar for the BDR may insure we are remembered, but seeing that trained and experienced capable people can take over for us and continue the work is really the critical test for success.  My successor will be drawn from large pool of such people from the Central Bank, the Finance Ministry and the commercial and investment banking sectors.
 
Understand that my retiring will include retiring from holding the Education Ministry as well.  The reason I was there was my brother’s vision for improving the life of the Bedwi; I am a numbers cruncher not a visionary.  But I do feel like by providing budgetary support as an absolute priority, we made outreach to the Bedwi successful.
 
There are iron laws of bureaucracy, one of which is if leadership is left in place too long, the same things are done right while the same things are done wrong.  So it is time to bring in those dedicated to quality to upgrade what we have been doing for a long time.
 
Make no mistake, we are proud of the progress we have made.  When my brother was Chancellor, he outlined the problem and the plan. The Bedwi on the whole did not really want or see the need for their children going to our schools while we really think their children have a right as  citizens of Jumhuriat al-Badara to an education and the government has an obligation to deliver it.  After persisting for a number of years, Bedwi leadership does not on the whole see the government as an existential threat to their way of life.
 
We established educational outposts in settlement villages which often were quite transient. We devised curricula where those who attend are receiving assignments strictly focusing on the next attendance to encourage short term commitment rather than fear of long term entanglement.  And we emphasize practical skills.  Math, prices, buying and selling, distances, heights, measurements, use of common tools, music, cooking, hygiene, room maintenance. And language.  They also have learned a fundamental fact. Those who want to engage with the civilized world are much better off if they can speak and for that matter write a civilized language.
 
We also made the outposts attractive and friendly to the Bedwi generally.  Starting with mail delivery service, veterinary care and electronics repair.  We have also allowed grocery vendors to operate at the outposts and other services at various outposts.  A great success has been scheduling free dental care. More recently we have added vision and hearing checkups and made glasses and hearing aids available.
 
So a lot of children are getting some education. We have Bedwi instructing and operating most of the outposts.  Many students want regular schooling and we arrange for their transportation and enrollment in the regular school systems maintained by the Muhafazas.

But now is the time for new leadership to add something to the progress we have made.

Central Bank Managing Director Mariamne al-QassemQassem